Spindle mounting



E. D. MEADOWS SPINDLE MOUNTING Filed Feb. 23. 1949 FIG. 3. I

FIG. 4. 49 l 42 4 0 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ERA/E57 D. MEADOW ATTORNEYand balance of the body.

United States PatentO SPINDLE MOUNTING Ernest D. Meadows, Atlanta, Ga.,assignor to Meadows Manufacturing Company, Atlanta, Ga., a corporationof Georgia Application February 23, 1949, Serial No. 77,724

8 Claims. (Cl. 57-130) My invention relates to improved means formounting rotating bodies, and in particular to a textile-spindlemounting. I

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of thecharacter indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved spindle mounting wherein therotating body may be permitted freely toseek and to maintain its ownnatural axis of rotation.

It is a further object to provide a unit-handling resilient mountingthat may be applied to existing spinning. frames without requiringmodification of the frame.

It is still another object to meet the above objects with a device towhich spindle means may be removably secured, so that once said devicehas been properly located on a rail, further spindles may be secured tosaid device without requiring further alignment to locate the spindlecenter on the rail.

Other objects and various further features of the invention will bepointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading ofthe following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only,a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a spindle assembly mounted upon aspinning rail in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is another form of spindle also mounted upon a spinning rail inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modifiedspindle-mounting means, shown in application to the mounting of aspindle similar to that of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is another fragmentary vertical sectional view of a furthermodified spindle-mounting means.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates an improved mounting fortextile spindles and for similar rotating bodies, in which resilientsupport is provided for the rotating body. The support may belongitudinally relatively firm and yet provide substantially completefreedom (within limits). for the rotating body to seek and to maintainan axis of rotation determined by the loading In the forms to bedescribed, the mounting means which makes possible such resiliency is aseparate unit which may be applied to existing splnning frames withlittle or no modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, my invention is shown in application to themounting of a spindle 5 upon a spinning frame or rail 6. The spindle 5may include an upwardly extending blade 7 driven by a whorl 8. The whorl8 may be revolubly supported by antifriction-bearing means 9 on arelatively fixed and nonrotating stud member 10. The stud 10 may includea generally cylindrical and longitudinally extending base 11 to besecured to the rail 6.

In accordance with the invention, I provide for the relativelylongitudinally extensive resilient support of the stud 10 at themounting base 11 thereof, and such support may utilize a relativelylongitudinally extensive layer or sleeve 12 of resilient material. Inthe form shown, the resilient sleeve 12 engages and spaces tworelatively rigid sleeve members. The inner sleeve member 13 may closelyfit the cylindrical part or base 11 of the stud 10, and the outer sleeve14 preferably passes through the mounting opening 15 in the rail 6 witha certain amount of radial clearance in order to permit proper locationof the spindle 5 on the rail 6.

The stud member 10 may include securing means for tightly clamping thesupport portion or base member 11 to the inner sleeve 13. In the formshown, these members are clamped together by fitting a flanged portion16 of the stud 10 against the upper end of the inner sleeve 13, and atightening nut 17 threaded to the bottom of the stud 10 may engage thebottom of the sleeve 13. In like manner, the outer sleeve 14 may includean upper flange 18 to engage the upper surface of the rail 6, and a nut19 may be threaded to the outer surface of the outer sleeve 14 fortightening against the lower side of the rail 6.

In the form shown, the rigid sleeves 13-14 form a single unit with theresilient sleeve 12. The resilient sleeve 12 may be bonded to one or tothe other of the rigid sleeves 13-14, and in a preferred form theresilient giaterial is bonded intimately to both rigid sleeve memers.

In order to permit fullest possible freedom for axial cocking of thespindle 5 with respect to the rail 6 (as when the spindle is rotatedwith an eccentric load), there is preferably an axial clearance betweenthe inner sleeve 13 (or parts carried by the inner sleeve 13) and theouter sleeve 14. To assure that the spindle will never be dropped intocontact with the rail, I prefer that the inner sleeve member be providedwith an upper guard flange 20 which preferably extends radiallyoutwardly to overstand parts of the outer sleeve 14. The flange 20 maythus be in axial clearing relation with the upper end of the outersleeve 14.

In Fig. 2, I show an application of my invention to the resilientmounting of a spindle 25, including a blade 26 and a longitudinallyextending bolster 27 extending into the well of a base member 28. Thespindle 25 may be revolubly supported in the base member 28 byantifriction bearing means 29 and by a lower locating support or bearing30. As in the case of the first-described arrangement, relativelylongitudinally extensive resilient means may be employed in the mountingof the base member 28 and hence of the spindle 25. .Such resilient meansmay include a sleeve 31 of resilient material bonded to a sleeve member32 to be secured to a spinning rail 33. Both the resilient sleeve 31 andthe mounting member or sleeve 32 may be relatively longitudinallyextensive so as to provide similar longitudinally extending resilientsupport for the base member 28. In the form shown, the resilientmounting is a complete unit comprising a concentric sandwich between therigid outer sleeve 32 and a rigid inner sleeve 34, the inner sleeve 34being clamped to the base member 28, as between a fixed abutment 35 anda threaded abutment 36 on the base member 28. The securing means for theouter sleeve 32 may include an upper flange 37 and a nut 38, and, as inthe case of the first-described arrangement, I prefer that there shallbe axial clearance between radially overstanding parts of the inner andouter sleeves 3234.

In Fig. 3, I show a modified spindle-mounting means suitable formounting either of the types of spindle disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, butshown in application to a stud-mounted spindle of the Fig. 1 type. InFig. 3, I again employ-an adapter assembly which, once located upon therail 40, need not be disturbed so as to require realignment of thespindle center whenever a spindle may have to be removed and replaced.The mounting means of Fig. 3 may include an outer sleeve member 41 withan integral seating flange 42 peripherally to engage the upper side ofthe rail 40. The sleeve 41 may be externally threaded to receive asecuring nut 43, which, in conjunction with the washer 44, may hold agiven adjusted spindle-centering setting of the sleeve 41 with respectto the rail 40.

As in the case of the other described forms, the mounting means mayadditionally include a sleeve 45 of resilient rubber or rubber-likematerial which may, if desired, be bonded to the sleeve 41. The sleeve41 may also include a radially inwardly projecting flange 46 defining anopening 47 having radial clearances with the spindle base 48. A seatingflange 49 on the base 48 may rest directly on the resilient sleeve 45,or, as I have shown, the flange 49 may be seated upon the flange 46 ofsleeve 41. The assembly may be completed upon the application of asecuring nut 50 and washer 51 against a shoulder 52 at the reducedthreaded end 53 of the base 48.

I prefer that the inside dimension of the resilient sleeve 45 prior toapplication of a spindle base shall be such as readily to'receive thespindle base upon insertion'of' the same, and that when so inserted thelower end of the resilient sleeve 45 shall project slightly beyond theabutment or shoulder 52 against which the take-up means 5051 is to bedriven: It will b'eunderstood,therefore, that upon such take-up of' thenut'50 the resilient-sleeve will be longitudinally preloaded and,therefore, slightly radially stressed so as to provide sin-adequatelytight fit of the'resilient sleeve 45 on the base'48;

InFig. 4, I show a modification of the structure-of Fig. 3 in which acoil spring 55 is employed in place of the resilient sleeve 45ofthestructure of Fig; 3. The same sleevemeans 41 and various securing' andtake-up members will be recognized from Fig. 3-, and the spring 55 maybe longitudinally compressionally' stressed between the sleeve flangemeans 46'and the take-up or $6- curing means tl'-51. In order to'allowthe spindle to seek and to assume its own axis of rotation, I prefer toallow a radial clearance between thespring 55 and the inner generallycylindrical surface of the sleeve 41. It will-be understood that radialclearance at 47 between the flange 46 and the base 48may'fu'rtherpromote such freedom of axis displacement,

It will be clear that in all of the forms illustrated I employ an outersleeve (14, 32, 41) which is designed to pass through an opening in thesupport (6, 33, 40) and in each form there is a whorl support member (11or 13, Fig. l; 28 or 34, Fig. 2; 48 Figs 3 arid 4.) The whorl supportmember passes through the outer sleeve heretofore referred to and thewhorl support is;used to support a suitable type of rotatable whorl (5,25). In each case there is a resilient means (12; 31-, 45, 55) confinedbetween the outer sleeve member and the whorl support member forresiliently supporting said whorl support member. The resilient means inevery instance illustrated is somewhatlonger axiallythan the outersleeve member and I employ flange means (such as20, 16, 35, 46) on oneof the members-engaging one end of the resilient means. Furthermore, Iemployin each species illustrated means-including a nut (1-7, 36', 50)threaded on the whorl support member'and engaging the other end of theresilient means so as to confine th'e latter between the said nut meansandsaid means'incl'iiding flangemeans whereby the whorl support-memberis resiliently supported for the purposes heretoforeset'forth; I I

It will be seen that I have described relatively simple means forproviding'a highly effective resilient mounting for a'plurality ofconventional-type spinning spindles.

The parts that must be secured to each other may be tightly secured, andthere'need never be any worry'a's't'o whether parts are over or undertight. My resilient mounting may be applied to a spindle assembly 'a't'apoint distant from the spinning frame, and the only adjustment necessaryto adapt such spindles to the spinning trameis a final tight take-up ofthe basen'ut 19 or 38 or 43, as the case may be; alternately, once myresilient mounting assembly has been properly located'on' and secured tothe rail, spindles maybe removedjand replaced without disturbing thespinning-axis location determined by my resilient assembly; I

While I have described my invention in detail'for the preferred formsshown, it will be'unders'tood'thatmodi- 4 fications may be made withinthe scope of the invention as'defined' inthe appended claims:-

I claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated for resiliently mounting arotatable whorl, a support having a mounting opening therein, a sleevemember passing through the opening in said support,- a whorl supportmember passing through said sleeve member for supporting a rotatablewhorl, a resilient means confined between said sleeve memberand saidwhorl support member for resiliently supporting said whorl supportmember, said resilient means'being somewhat longer" axially than saidsleeve member, flange means on one of said members" engaging one'end ofsaidresilient r nea r1s, an i meansincluding a nut threaded on saidwhorl support member and engaging the other end of said resilient means'to'confine the latter between said nut means and said flange means tocompress said resilient means axially, whereby said whorl snpport memberisr'esiliently su'pportedyfo'rthe'pu'rpose set;forth.= v

2. In the combination defined in claim 1, said .whorl support-memberincludingan inner sleeve within said resilient means and saidnu-t meansengaging-against the end. of said inner sleeve to limit compression ofsaid resilient means; w g

3lln-the combination defined in claim 1, said whorl support membercomprising a spindle base and a spindle carried thereby;

4; In the combination defined in'claim 1, said whorl support includinganinner sleeve interposed between said resilient means and the part ofsaid whorl support-membencarrying said nut means;

5. In the combination defined in claim 1, an outwardly directedradialflange on said whorl support member to overstand the saidsleevemember-and limit the passage of said whorl support member throughsaid sleeve member.

6: Inthe combination defined in claim" 1,. said sleeve member'having anoutwardly directe'dradial flange to rest on the s'upportbordering theopening therein.

7. In the combination'defined'n claim- 1; said flange means onione-ofsaid-membersand engaging one end of said resilient means, comprising'aninwardly directed radial fiangeextending into proximityto'andinclearance relationwith'said'whorl support member. v

8. In the combination defined in claim 1, said means including a I nutthreaded:- on; said whorl support member and engaging one end'ofsaid:resilient means; comprising an abutment-to compresssaid'resilient-means;

References eiied in niefiie of th-is-patent

